Can carrier and single can holder



Jan. 30, 1962 J. D. FELT 3,@i8,919

CAN CARRIER AND SINGLE CAN HOLDER Filed Aug. 2, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 JQMEs D. PELT INVENTOR.

@JQA ATToRN EYS Jan. 30, 1962 J. D. FELT 3333 919 CAN CARRIER AND SINGLE CAN HOLDER Filed Aug. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 #7 ES DPELT J M INVENTQR.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1962 J. D. PELT 3,018,919

CAN CARRIER AND SINGLE CAN HOLDER Filed Aug. 2, 1960 any"? 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JQMES D. .PELT' INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS 3,018,919 CAN CARRIER AND SINGLE CAN HOLDER James D. Pelt, 642 N. Plymouth, Los Angeles 36, Calif. Filed Aug. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 46,928 Claims. (Cl. 220-113) This invention has to do generally with disposable carriers or holders for chimed cans.

It is customary to package. canned beverages such as beer, for example, in paper. cartons or carriers designed to hold a half-dozen cans. An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved can carrier of such type having several advantages over conventional carriers or holders with which I am familiar.

Another object is to provide a can carrier designed to hold a plurality of cans evenly divided in two sets or rows which is so constructed as to be readily separable into two holders, each containing half of the cans. In this connection it is an object to provide such a device having a handle which also is separable into two parts so that each of the two halves, when separated, is provided with its own handle.

Another object is to provide a can carrier in which the handle portion is so constructed as to lie fiat when not in use thus enabling carriers to be stacked one upon another.

A particular feature and further object of the invention is to provide a can holder or carrier having an integral but readily severable portion which, when served, is designed for use as a combined holder and handle for a single can where a person desires to drink directly from the can.

Another object is to provide a unique combined holder and handle fora single can designed for use in drinking from the can and which is so constructed as to :act as its own coaster, so to speak, in that it is designed to catch the droplets of water of condensation which accumulate on the outer surface of a chilled can.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and the following description. In the drawmgs:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a can carrier embodying the invention; v

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top portion of the device of FIG. 1 showing the handle upright;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the article of FIG. 1 shown filled with cans and shown partially separated into its two halves;

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view on line 4-4 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 7--7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a blank from which one half section of the carrier is made;

FIG. 9 is a perspective View showing a combined single can holder and handle; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a blank from which the single can holder and handle of FIG. 9 is made.

More particularly describing the invention, referring first to FIGS. 1-8, the can carrier, shown in its entirety in FIG. 1, comprises two complementary sections designated 11 and 11A, respectively, which are substantially identical but differ slightly in the handle sections as will later become apparent. The two sections provide the spaces 13 and 14- respectively for the reception of chimed cans C, which are shown in some of the views. The particular carrier shown is designed to carry six such cans, as is customary in the trade, with three cans disposed in space 13 and three in space 14. However, conceivably the carrier might be shortened to accommodate only two cans ited States Patent 0 on each side, or it might be elongated to accommodate more than three cans on each side.

The section 11 is formed from a blank of paper, paper board or the like, designated 11' (FIG. 8) to provide a bottom wall 15, an outer side wall 16, an upper wall 17, and a tab 18 beyond the upper wall 17. The section 11 also is provided with an inner wall 19 and handle 20 which has an inner tab 21 defined by score or tear lines 22 so that it can be partially severed and then folded back to provide an opening 23. Tab 18 is secured by paste, adhesive, staples, or other suitable means to the inner wall 19.

The bottom wall 15 has a straight edge 24 at one end and a projecting convex edge 25 at the other end. Also, the wall 15 is provided with a pair of tabs, one near each end, designated 26 and 27, which are cut to provide convex edges 28 having substantially the same radius as the cans to be accommodated and the tabs are folded inwardly along lines 30 toward each other from the position in which they are shown in the blank to the position which they are shown in other views. Upper wall 17 is provided with a pair of tabs 31 above tabs 26 and 27 which are folded in under the upper wall, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 7, and these are also formed with convex edges 32 of the same radius as edges 28. With this arrangment a can is readily locked in place against outward displacement between an upper tab 31 and a lower tab 26 or 27, with the tabs fitting inside the ends of the can. Thus when three cans are placed in position as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 4, the two outer cans are locked in place and serve to hold the center can.

The half section 11A of the carrier is substantially identical to the section '11 and the portions thereof will be given the same numerals, but distinguished by the addition thereto of the letter A. Thus the bottom wall of section 11A will be designated 1 5A, etc. It will be noted that the two inner walls 19 and 19A are adapted to be disposed against each other and secured together by tabs 33 provided upon inner side walls. Each tab extends around the wall of the other section and the parts are joined by any means which will permit the sections to be separated when desired, as for instance by a staple 34.

The handle portion 20A of section 11A is similar to handle 20 of the other section, except that it does not have wings 35. These are formed to provide a convex edge 36 having a radius of curvature the same asthe tabs 31. Thus when the device is assembled with the cans therein the wings 35 of handle section 20 are bent around the edges of handle section 20A and upper wall 17A to lie beneath the latter and are thus received in the recess at the tops of the cans. Thus the handles are releasably held flat and at the same time serve to hold the two carrier sections together at the top. This enables carriers filled with cans to be stacked one upon the other.

One of the features of the construction of the carrier is the fact that the two sections 11, 11A can be separated to form two carriers and reference is made to FIG. 3 wherein the sections are shown partially separated. This is accomplished by separating the two handle sections and then pulling the sections 11, 11A apart to sever the securing means at the regions of tabs 33'.

In FIGS. 9 and 10 I show a holder 38 for a single can and it is one of the features of the invention that one or more such holders can be incorporated in a carrier which holds a plurality of cans. The single can holder includes a bottom wall designated 40, side walls 41, upper wall 42, and tab 43 beyond the upper wall designed to be attached to the adjacent side wall 41 to hold the article together. The lower wall 40 is provided with a tab 45 having a convex edge 46, the tab being turned back upon the wall 40 along the fold line 47 and the upper, wall 42 is provided with a tab 50 having a convex: edge 51. Tab 59 is designed to be turned inwardly under the wall 42 along fold line 52 and thus the two tabs- 45 and 50 are in vertical alignment for the reception of a can, the tabs being designed to prevent removal of the can in the same manner as the tabs previously described in connection with the article for holding a plurality of cans. In this connection it will be noted that. tabs 45 and 50 correspond to tabs '27 and 31 of section 11A.

Each side section 41 is designed to form a handle and. forthis purpose is provided with a weakened tear line or line of parting 53 to define a guard flap 54 adapted to be bent or partially folded along the broken line 55. Thus when in use the sides provide handle sections 56 and.

the flaps 54 extend between a persons hand and the can. to prevent rearward movement of the can and to shield. the users hand from condensate in the event the can is. chilled.

As previously indicated, the device shown in FIG. 9' and the blank thereof shown in FIG. 10 is adapted to be formed integrally with the can carrier and in the form. of can carrier shown, two such single can holders are delineated. It will be noted that with the two sections: 11, 11A back-to-back the convex edges 25 of the lower walls are at opposite ends of the article. Referring to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the bottom wall 40 of the single can holder corresponds to the forward portion of the lower wall 15A of section 1 1A. Further it will be seen that one side section is delineated upon the outer side wall 16A by the lines of perforations 60 and 53', the latter becoming cut 53 when parted. Also it will appear that the other side 41 is delineated by corresponding lines of perforations in the side 19A of the carrier. Also it will appear that the upper wall of the single can holder is delineated in the upper wall 17A of section. 11A by the perforations 62.

Section 1 1 of the carrier is provided with perforations similar to those described in section 11A defining a holder similar to that shown in FIG. 9 and similar to the blank shown in FIG. 10. Such an article is shown delineated on the blank of 11' of FIG. 8. It will be apparent that either or both of the single can holders can be removed or severed from the carrier to provide the device for holding a single can such as shown in FIG. 9. In this connection, to facilitate removal of the single can holder from a section of the carrier, I provide a hole 65 in the upper wall of each section through which to insert the fingers for the purpose of grasping and tearing open the carrier. Cut 66 on one side and the series of cuts 67 on the other tend to cause the material to tear in a desired direction and make it easy subsequently to sever the single can holder from the section.

Although I have illustrated and described prefer-red forms of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A carrier for chimed cans of a given size, comprising material, such as paperboard, formed to provide a bottom wall, a top Wall, and opposite side Walls connecting the bottom and top wall in spaced relation to one another to form a first carrier section, additional material, such as paperboard, formed to provide a bottom wall, a top wall, and opposite side walls connecting the bottom and top walls in spaced relation to one another to form a second carrier section, said sections being disposed immediately adjacent each other with a side wall of each section against a corresponding side wall of the other section, a handle projecting above the upper wall from said first section, a handle projecting above the upper wall of said second section, said handles being adapted to lie flat against the top wall of one section and the handle of the other section being formed with tab-s at its side margins adapted to fold around and under the top wall of said one section and be received in the recessed ends, respectively, of cans in the carrier, and rupturable means securing the adjacent side walls of said first and second carrier sections whereby to enable said sections to be separated, upon separation of said handles, to form two independent carriers.

2. In a carrier for chimed cans of a given size, material, such as paperboard, formed to provide a bottom wall, a top wall, and opposite side walls connecting the bottom and top wall, said material being formed to provide an infolded can-retaining tab in the upper wall and an infolded can-retaining tab in the lower wall beneath said upper tab, said bottom, top and side walls being provided with tear lines along which the material is weakened defining a single can holder characterized as including a portion of each of the walls of said carrier including a portion of the upper wall having a can-retaining tab and a portion of the lower wall therebeneath having a can-retaining tab, the tear lines in the side walls of said carrier, when parted, defining rearwardly projecting handle loops.

3. A carrier as set forth in claim 2 in which the tear lines in the side walls of said carrier, when parted, define a pair of guard flaps to be bent forward to extend between a. persons fingers passing through the handles and a can held within the holder.

4. In a single can holder, material, such as paperboard, formed to provide a bottom wall, a top wall, and opposite side walls connecting the bottom and top wall, said top and bottom walls being formed to provide inturned, rounded, can-retaining tabs, said side walls each including a rearwardly projecting handle loop and each including a guard -flap attached along its forward edge and adapted to be bent inwardly toward a can to position the same between a persons fingers extending through the loops and the can.

5., A single can holder as set forth in claim 4 in which said bottom wall extends laterally beyond the rim of the can completely around the-can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,234,483 Luke July 24, 1917 1,829,533 Ondricek Oct. 27, 1931 2,637,476 Empkie May 5, 1953 2,656,959 Currie Oct. 27, 1953 2,686,000 Berke Aug. 10, 1954 2,792,146 Zastrow May 14, 1957 2,917,877 Fisher Dec. 22, 1959 

